Register for Programs at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

The following public programs, workshops, and events require pre-registration and payment. To register, please click on the appropriate link to be taken to our secure server, or call (269) 381-1574 ext. 0 to register with Guest Services. Please visit our Calendar page for more great programs at KNC!

Are you a teacher looking to register for an education program? Visit our Education Page!

Kalamazoo Environmental Council

Legislative Breakfast - REGISTER
Monday, March 12, 7:30-9:30am

Please join us as we talk with our lawmakers in Lansing and Congress about how we protect and enhance our environmental assets in a challenging economy. We have invited
State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, State Representatives, Sean McCann, Margaret O’Brien, Jase Bolger and legislative staff for U.S. Representative Fred Upton, U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow.
Registration required by March 8 for breakfast. Catered breakfast is $10 (not required).

Citizen Science Programs

Nestbox Monitor - REGISTER
Have you ever wondered what goes on in a bird’s nest? Nestboxes are ideal for discovery since they're not too high and the birds are generally tolerant. This workshop will teach you the safest way to monitor a nestbox, which birds you're likely to encounter, and how to ID the nest, eggs, and adults. You can even assist a licensed bander as they band your nestlings. KNC maintains “bluebird trails” on the grounds, at Fort Custer Recreation Area, and at several local golf courses so you have a choice of terrain and walking distance. Depending on weather, nesting can start in March and go through August, but don't worry – We can work around vacations.
Commitment: once a week from April 15 through August 15 (vacation flexibility)
Contact: Torrey Wenger, (269) 381-1574 ext. 12 or twenger@naturecenter.org
Training: classroom session Thursday, March 29, 6 – 8 pm AND hands-on hike Saturday, March 31, 10 am – noon
Fee: Members $15, Non-members $20; Previous monitors take $10 off!
Registration and payment required by Friday, March 23: (269) 381-1574 ext. 0

Citizen Science: Photomonitoring
Training: Saturday, April 14, 1-2:30 pm (rain date: Sunday, April 15) - REGISTER
Photomonitoring is a technique that uses repeated photos to monitor the changes in a landscape. Volunteer photomonitors track the success of KNC’s management efforts, like burning the prairie to fight shrubby invaders, and document the health of our rare habitats. Land managers throughout southwest Michigan take pictures for science, and you can too! Come learn how!
Commitment: visit points at KNC twice a year for photos, or monitor on your own property
Contact: Torrey Wenger at (269) 381-1574 ext. 12 or email her.
Registration due by Wednesday, April 11: (269) 381-1574 ext. 12

Bumble Bee Workshop
Saturday, May 5, 9 am - 3 pm - REGISTER
Bumble bees are generally the first pollinators out in the morning and the last to leave a field in the evening. Their diligent work is important for many agricultural crops and is essential for cranberries and blueberries. Bumble bees also play an extremely valuable role in wildflower pollination. Losses of bumble bees can have far-ranging economic and ecological impacts. Unfortunately, several species in Michigan have undergone severe declines in recent years.

This two-part workshop is co-hosted by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and covers all aspects of bumble bee conservation, from identification and natural history to monitoring techniques and bee-friendly land management. The first session introduces bumble bee ecology and natural history, plus land management practices and habitat restoration that benefit bumble bees. The second session focuses on identification and basic monitoring techniques and will highlight conservation efforts for imperiled bumble bees. An optional field day on April 28 allows participants to practice identification and monitoring skills.
Citizens can play an important, ongoing role in spotting, monitoring, and protecting these important and imperiled species. Land managers, urban gardeners, suburban park managers, working farmers, or teachers – There are steps we can all take to help conserve these charismatic and important animals.
Fee: Members $10, Non-Members $10

Citizen Science: Butterfly Monitor Training
Classroom session on Thursday, May 24, 6-8 pm; hands-on hike on Saturday, May 26, noon – 2 pm - REGISTER
KNC’s Butterfly Monitoring program is part of a regional network, extending from Ohio to Wisconsin. First-year monitors focus on 25 common and easy-to-identify species while second-year monitors add rare or confusing species. Monitors walk a route 6 times over the summer, recording all the butterflies they spot. ID training provided!
Commitment: 6 surveys between June 1 and August 7
Contact: Torrey Wenger at (269) 381-1574 ext. 12 or email her.
Registration due by Friday, May 18: (269) 381-1574 ext. 0

Trips with the Kalamazoo Nature Center

St Helena Lighthouse Trip
Friday, August 3 – Monday, August 6 - MORE INFORMATION HERE
$355/Member, $395/Non-member
*Participants must be 18 years and up
Join us for a weekend excursion to the 1912 St. Helena Island Light Station in the beautiful Straits of Mackinac, Michigan, on Friday, August 3rd through Monday, August 6th! This trip offers an opportunity to enjoy peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether looking for time away with a friend, partner, family or just looking for a peaceful retreat for yourself, this is the trip for you. Bring a book to read, walk the cobblestone beach, identify wildflowers, watch shore birds, spot passing freighters, kayak, swim in cool, clean Lake Michigan, and just relax in a lawn chair. Enjoy spectacular sunsets over the lake and after dark, a roaring campfire on the beach will be perfect for roasting marshmallows and relaxing before bedtime.

Workshops at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

Felted Bird Pod Workshop - REGISTER
Saturday, May 12 from 10 am to 4 pm
Come enjoy felt fun for feathered friends! Build a felted wool structure that blends beautifully into the landscape and houses song birds and their young. These pods are made from wool, llama and alpaca fibers and will last for many years! All materials are included in workshop fee. Please dress comfortably and bring a snack!
Fee: $55/members, $65/non-members
Registration will be open soon; Registration and payment required by Monday, May 7:
Indoor workshop for ages 12+; no felting experience required!

Soapmaking Workshop - REGISTER
Saturday, February 25, 12-4 pm

Join soapmaker Judy Packard to learn the basic techniques of soapmaking. We’ll make a batch of traditional tallow soap and progress to more modern techniques with vegetable oils and fragrances. Everyone will take home several bars of soap plus lots of information about books, supplies, resources, and techniques.
Workshop for ages 15+

Fee: $25/members, $35/non-members

Registration and payment required by Friday, Feb 17: (269) 381-1574 ext. 0 or register above.

Leopold Education Project Workshop - REGISTER
Saturday, April 28, 8:30 am - 4 pm
KNC is pleased to offer the Leopold Education Project workshop which strives to enrich your land ethic and strengthen your connection
to the environment in a way that can be passed on to today’s youth. The Leopold Education Project (LEP) is an innovative, interdisciplinary education program based on Aldo Leopold’s classic book, A Sand County Almanac. Through reading the discoveries recorded in Leopold’s essays and participating in meaningful hands-on activities, participants can increase their appreciation for the land and expand their ecological awareness. LEP activities provide basic but highly useful information about Michigan natural history and conservation ethics, preparing educators to successfully and efficiently use curriculum materials with students. These activities cover plant, bird, and track identification, habitat studies, ecological relationships, and more.
Each participant receives the LEP Lessons in Land Ethics Teacher’s Guide, A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, and additional resources. The workshop cost is greatly reduced thanks to funding provided by the 36 Michigan chapters of Pheasants Forever, and the Habitat Organization.
Fee: $25 Adults $15 Students (currently attending college or high school)
Registration and payment required by Friday, April 13, 2012: Call (269) 381-1574 ext. 0 or register above.

Yoga at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

Yoga Level I:
Join a certified yoga instructor for a relaxing and rejuvenating evening of Iyengar-based yoga in the Glen Vista Gallery. Please bring your own mat and props.

Yoga Level II:
Take the next step! Level II classes refine technique and add new postures with guidance from a certified yoga instructor. This class is for students who have completed at least one Level I session at KNC or have comparable experience. Please bring your own mat and props.

Class Sessions: Join us for one of these upcoming sessions!
Fee for each session: Members $50, Non-Members $60.

Yoga Level I, Mondays from 6 - 7:30 pm, February 27-April 2, 2012 - REGISTER
Yoga Level I, Mondays from 6 - 7:30 pm, April 9-May 14, 2012 - REGISTER
Yoga Level I, Mondays from 6-7:30 pm, May 21-July 2, 2012 (No class on May 28) - REGISTER

Yoga Level II, Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30 pm, February 29-April 4, 2012- REGISTER
Yoga Level II, Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30 pm, April 11-May 16, 2012, 2012- REGISTER
Yoga Level II, Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30 pm, May 23-June 27, 2012, 2012- REGISTER